Archive for August, 2012

Well, after a few {little} bumps in the road, these have arrived! I’m so excited to get these out to you!

The Iron-on transfers are so great. Because these designs are very illustrative, the iron-on takes all the guess work out. These designs are actually very simple in terms of the stitching involved….the only thing that can get tricky is getting the lines just right when you are tracing. Ironing on the lines takes the guess work out, and makes for an really nice stitching experience!

A few things to know about these:

The transferred lines are not really erasable. They can be, but I’m not going to suggest trying. This is why I offer both the PDF and the iron-on, so you can choose. However, the lines are very thin to make sure they are covered after you stitch, so it shouldn’t be a problem.

The transfer paper can be used as many as 6-7 times. Your best transfers will be the first 4, but with several uses, you aren’t going to be wasting it all on the first attempt. Yay!

These patterns have all the same information as the PDF versions …the only difference is in the actual transfer paper is included. And you get a cute thank you card from me and a pretty package in the mailbox:)

You probably know from my ABOUT page that I have a very valuable asset to my business;) Ann. She is amazing. She works part time for me and handles all the orders, customer service, emails, etc. She is my saving grace.

Well, the past year or so has been a busy year for her with meeting an incredible guy, and getting married this month!

Isn’t she a beautiful bride?

These photos are all from Tara B Photography. She’s amazing, and if you live in Utah or Idaho or anywhere close, she’s amazing.

I haven’t really talked too much about Ann here (we have a long distance relationship:) and so we aren’t together very much! But thank goodness for instant message, email, and cell phones, she handles everything so beautifully. She’s a creative spirit who dreams in spreadsheets. You don’t find that combination very often!

Congratulations Ann! I’m so happy for you!

And thank goodness for me, she can pick up and move anywhere and still be part of this Sarah Jane story. I’m the luckiest person!

Hello sewers! So far in this blog tour, most of the projects that I created for the launch of OUT TO SEA fabric, have all been created by myself or by others who are offering tutorials. Hasn’t it been great? There are more projects ahead, don’t worry! But for today, I want to mention the many patterns that I purchased to make the booth displays!

Another must have, is this shoulder bag. Ian, my 6 year old, is always carrying around a shoulder bag with his “collections” inside. He gets quite attached to his bags. And for this one, I used the map fabric as it covers so well. He’s traveled all summer with it, and it’s still holding up great!

I didn’t have a lot of time for quilts for my booth…or so I thought! I wanted to have bunk beds…to make the set feel like a nautical themed children’s room….so I had to think of quilts that could be made rather quickly, but really show off the designs. Enter April from Prairie Grass Patters. She had made a quilt out of my CHILDREN AT PLAY collection, and I loved how it turned out. But rotate the petals and you get all sorts of different patterns! Charming and sweet!

I just loved using the Map Fabric for the back of some of the quilts. So much cuddle time with little fingers following along the nautical lines.

I love floor pillows for kids rooms. Easy to carry around and cuddle up with. This the Amy Butler “Must Have” pillow pattern. It comes in 3 different sizes, and there are so many top piecing options! it’s a great way to get some extra sitting space in a kids room. Not too big at all!

I’ve used this as my church bag all summer. Love how it feels with the rope straps!

And I’m seeing more and more people start to post pictures to my Facebook page, and Flickr and Pinterest. Keep posting! I’m going to start featuring some of my favorites here in this space, to help you all get more ideas!

Thanks so much you guys! Over 700 of you filled out the survey from last week and it really did give me such a glimpse into what you guys value and love about coming here!

I’ve really learned a lot about what your favorite products are, what you would like to see more of, and what you love seeing here on the blog. I’m just so energized by hearing your input!

It might sound silly, because I have a public space where I can communicate often with you, but designing and creating a business can be a very lonely road. Mostly because my creations are my own….and even though I’ve been doing this for almost 5 years now, there is that nagging feeling of “Will anyone even like this?” Creating from your heart while trying to make sure that people are still connecting to you and your work is a balance that I find very enjoyable….but it can be lonely at times! So, hearing your feedback and input was just what I needed. Thank you!

Here’s a print I did this weekend and I’ll be making more to release in about a week-ish. More Out to Sea inspired artwork and stuff to go with the fabric that you are starting to find store!

Horray!

Have a lovely Monday, everyone! And thanks again!

PS: The coupon code at the end of the survey is valid only through Monday, so don’t forget!

When I created the Out to Sea fabric, I had of course planned it to be for children. But I wanted to get some use out of it too! So I made sure to include textiles that were sophisticated and simple enough to wear and use myself!

(Perks of designing your own fabric is getting to design when I want to wear!)

Another GREAT perk is that this fabric is a new quality than my last….called Cotton Couture: It’s a high density cotton that is VERY soft to the touch and perfect for apparel but not gauzy or too light for quilting. I knew this line would be perfect for clothing, and so I wanted to make sure that it wouldn’t be harsh on the skin at all.

So when I got the fabric (12 days before Quilt Market) I needed to create an outfit out of my own fabric. And I dreamed of a navy anchor skirt with a peter pan collared blouse.

And knowing Liz of Cotton & Curls, she’d want to share how to make it…and she agreed to sew for me!

She’s WAY cuter than me so I’m posting this fab pic of her wearing this elastic a-line skirt perfect for any body type!

Head on over to her (INCREDIBLE) blog and learn how to make the Peter Pan collar and Skirt!

Last year was a big year for Sarah Jane: 2 books, 2 fabric lines, a new assistant, a new website and some new opportunities! But with all that, came a lot less time to work on products for the shop. I look at all your amazing creations on the FLICKR groups, see the pictures of your children’s rooms, and I want to be putting more effort into creating products to foster creative play and whimsical design for children.

So, with my 2 oldest in full day school, I’m rededicating to making myself more available to hear what you’d love to see in the shop this year!

I’ve created a (VERY SHORT!) survey where you can let me know what it is you are currently loving, and what things you’d like to see here at Sarah Jane.

And in honor of a new school year, let’s have a sale to go with it:

You’ll find the code for a 20% off coupon at the end of the Survey!

But I promise. It’s short. Like 6 questions, but with places for you to write what ever you feel like writing:)

Thanks so much! Can’t wait to hear your thoughts. I’m off to the drawing board myself.

Oh gosh. Today is a big day. I’m standing by the front door having just sent 2 of my 3 children to full day school today, and I just can’t get a grip on how I feel about this.There is one (really adorable) one left. But just one. Not as noisy and crazy, and I’m finding it rather like being naked in a way.

Part of me is so ready. Last year, I spent most of the day back and forth in the car between full day school, and part day kindergarten, and between that and regular mommy stuff, I couldn’t get 2 seconds to myself during the day. Forced to start my work at 8pm, I was exhausted. Plain beat. I don’t do well on little sleep, and that’s all I could get last year. And the year before that! And…well, you get the idea. We’re full speed at this house:)

This year, with both children in school all day, I just have Ella at home which will free me up considerably (and she’s even starting preschool…so this is a huge change!). It will be good to spend time with just the baby. Although, she’s not so baby anymore!

So, I don’t plan on working nights like I have the past 4 years. It will also mean I can get the gym, lose the weight I’ve gained from the past couple years of no sleep, and get a working day rhythm. I’m really looking forward to that! Illustrating and working in the daylight hours? That’s gonna be weird.

But not working when the kids are home has been my goal. That doesn’t always happen, especially in the summer, but I really try and just be “home” when they are. With work becoming more and more important for us to sustain, this change really does come at the perfect time! But, oh it really has always been a conflict for me. I love doing what I do, but deadlines drive this industry and it can often make for a stressed out Mommy. So a quieter house will be a welcomed guest.

But…..

….at the same time, I’m feeling so lonely. We’ve been together, the 5 of us, ALL SUMMER and man we have had so much fun. They are my muses. We spent 6 weeks on the East Coast at my parents house, with no other playmates but each other. It was amazing. And now it’s going to be really quiet. Do I really have kids old enough to leave home for 7 hours a day? I’m starting to see the wrinkles in my face already:) Gosh, a Mother’s heart is so complex, isn’t it!

Bottom line, I’m going to miss having everyone home all the time, but I do love creative projects. And it will be VERY good for me to really work without the guilt of squeezing in time when they don’t notice, or staying up super late. I really want to build this little space that I’ve created in Sarah Jane, and I’m ready to hit the drawing board. I’ve got a lot of really great opportunities and ideas, but with this new start, I also want to hear from YOU!

What would YOU like to see this year at Sarah Jane? I’ve got more time carved out, and while it’s never big enough for the dreams in my head, I really would love to hear your wishes and ideas too.

So are you ready? Ready for a great new year here in the studio? I’m going to be posting a survey where you can share your ideas with me. I’ll probably have it up sometime in the next 24 hours, but I wanted to give you a heads up so you can be thinking. I really want to consider the wishes that you have!

So stay tuned, and know that if there are any other mothers out there with that first week of school mother heart syndrome, I’m with you. All the way. Now to get busy making fun and pretty things for them to ease my Mother Heart.

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